......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 8 August 2010
.Newsletter
0300
Ramadan
Mubarak
To start the month off on a
light note ...........
Two men
were lost in the Sahara desert.
One was
David, the other was Michael.
They
were dying of hunger and thirst when they
suddenly came upon an oasis, with what
looked like an emirate with a mosque in the
middle.
David
said to Michael : "Look, let's pretend we
are Muslims, otherwise
we'll not get any food or drink. I am going
to call myself "Mohammed."
Michael
refused to change his name, he said: "My name
is Michael ,
and I will not pretend to be other than but
what I am.....Michael."
The Imam
of the mosque received both well and asked
about their names.
David
said: "My name is Mohammed."
Michael
said: "My name is Michael. "
The Imam
turned to the helpers of the mosque and
said:
"Please bring some food and water for
Michael only."
Then he
turned to the other and said:
Salaams Mohammed, Ramadaan Mubarak.
CCN wishes all our Readers a
Rewarding Ramadan.
May all your duas,
supplications and prayers
be accepted in this Holy
Month, insha'Allah
300 NOT
OUT!
As we reach another
milestone with this 300th
issue of CCN we would like
to thank our readers in
Queensland, inter-state and
around the world for your
ongoing interest and support.
We hope that you continue to
have as much fun reading CCN
as we have bringing it to
you each week.
Qu'ran
Graduation Ceremony
(left to right)
Zaahid Hurst, Salahuddeen Mohammed,
Mohammed Qassim Rehman, Hj. Hussin Goss
and
Qari Fida-ur-Rehman
In a very well
attended and organized graduation program on
Friday night, the IQRA Academy saw three of its
young men become Hufaaz. Under the tutelage of
QariFida-ur-Rehman each of his
pupils became a Hafiz with the ability to recite
the Holy Qu'ran in its entirety from memory.
SalahuddeenMohammed was commended for his beautiful
recitation and for completing the Qu'ran as
quickly as he did, accomplishing this while
completing his Year 12 and apprenticeship at the
same time.
Zaahid
Hurst became a Muslim five years ago
starting his basic lessons at the Gold Coast
Mosque before his family moved to Brisbane to
live closer to the Kuraby Mosque. Imam
ImraanHusain, who was the MC for the
night, recalled Zaahid as being "the best
student I have taught" and commended him on his
fine character and adab. Zaahid had the
burning desire to complete the Qu'ran before
Ramadan and memorized 15 and a half juz
in the last six months.
Mohammed
QassimRehman, son of Qari
Fida-ur-Rehman, caught up with his brother
Kaab who graduated earlier this year.
The graduates were
each presented with a trophy and a certificate
of completion by Hj Habib Deen, Hj
Hussin Goss, Hj Shummis Rane and
Hj Hanif Deen.
Earlier in the
program ImamAhmadGhazaleh
recited a passage from the Qu'ran and sang a
nasheed while MrHussin
Goss gave generous praise to Qari
Fida-ur-Rehman for the work he had done for the
community and for his success in producing 33
Hufaaz to date.
Imam Akram Buksh
spoke on the significance of becoming a Hafiz
and Imam Ghazaleh was called on by request to
read a stirring speech written by the mother of
Zaahid, Sr. KhadijahHurst,
which she kindly agreed to share with CCN
readers -
click here.
The 300 attendees
were all then invited to dinner which was prepared
and sponsored by the Deen family.
Al-Nisa's
new crew and charity do
On July 10 the Al-Nisa
Youth Group held its annual AGM. The former Management
committee resigned on the day and a new committee was
voted in.
Silda Sabonchy (Board
Member)
Ameera Karimshah (Board Member)
Rasol Aziz (Board Member)
Shabnaaz Ahmed (Founder & Board Member)
Susan Al-Maani (Founder)
Mehnaaz Ahmed (Founder)
Rokaya Rane (Founder)
Shameem Rane (Founder)
On July 31 the
Alnisa Youth Group held a fundraising dinner for
the Orphans of Afghanistan.
All the proceeds of the night went to an
Australian Aid Organisation called Mahboba's
Promise and is dedicated to helping the women
and children of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is one
of the poorest countries on earth with the
highest proportion of orphans and widows in the
world.
The night proved to be highly successful and
raised over $17 000. Thanks to the generous
donations of sponsors and the generous support
from members of the community, all monies raised
on the night will be sent to the orphanage in
Afghanistan.
The night started with a detailed and emotional
video about the orphanage which gave insight
into the state of orphans in Afghanistan. The
presentation was followed by dinner and a few
fun activities for the ladies.
"The Alnisa board would like to take this
opportunity to thank everyone for their
continued support of all our events," a
spokeswoman for the group told CCN.
Our
Ramadan....by Mohammed Azhari
The following
article was written for CCN
readers by Mohammed Azhari
of Brisbane who is currently
studying Islamic studies in
Damascus, Syria where he is
also lectures the Dialogue
of Civilizations course at
the Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro
Institute in Damascus:
:
With Ramadan within reach
the Muslim world is turned
alive and goes through many
changes in Ramadhan. Eating,
sleeping and socialising
routines are turned about.
As the sun sets, the first
morsels of food enter our
mouths after hours of
deprivation, usually a sweet
date, according to the
Islamic tradition. But are
the hours that follow in
keeping with the essence of
Ramadhaan?
Burial
Workshop
(left to right)
Sr. Tintin Farihatini
(IISB), Br. Iman Partorejo (IISB Advisor), Br. Hussin Goss (ISGC),
Sr. Fenti Forsyth (Griffith University),
Br. Mohammed Iqbal Sultan (BMBS, Br. Sultan Deen
and
Br. Medritzam (IISB President)
The Indonesian Islamic
Society of Brisbane (IISB)
conducted a workshop last
Sunday for over 100 of its
members at the Griffith
University, Multi-faith
Centre on the burial
procedures for Muslims in
Queensland.
Dr Mohammed Iqbal Sultan
of the Brisbane Muslim
Burial Society (BMBS) and
Mr. Hussin Goss of the
Gold Coast Mosque took the
participants through the
processes they had
established through their
societies and, together with
Mr Sultan Deen, Mr
AK Surtie and Mr
Yusuf Chothia, fielded a
number of questions on the
subject that ranged from the
cost of the services to the
establishment of a burial
fund.
Mr Yusuf Khatree
presented the aims and
objectives of the Muslim
Charitable Fund (MCF) and
the work that they had been
undertaking over the past
two years.
The workshop concluded for
lunch with a smorgasbord of
some very fine Indonesian
cuisine.
Taekwondo
classes commence
The
only Muslim full time
taekwondo centre in
Queensland opened its doors
on Thursday 5th August. New
Members are invited to join.
For the month of August
only, mew Members will
receive free insurance with
Taekwond Australia and free
uniforms. This is a saving
of $100.
Call head instructor
HarisOlomi on
0402 716 707 for more
Information.
The address of the centre is
Unit 4/3261 Logan Rd
Underwood.
The
Muslims of Mt Gravatt DVD launch
On 18th August a
DVD on "Muslim Roots" will be launched to a Seniors'
Group from 10am to 12pm in the Main Hall at the Mt
Gravatt Showgrounds.
Anyone interested in
attending can contact Jack Bravo at the Mt Gravatt
District Community Centre on 3343 9833.
The DVD was produced by The Queensland Muslim Historical
Society Inc, Mt Gravatt District Community Centre and
the Brisbane Video Group.
The Gaza
Humanitarian Aid Flotilla attack: A personal account
Yesterday (Saturday) the
Amnesty International Australia, Queensland and Northern
New South Wales branch hosted Gold Coast residents,
Ahmed Talib and Jerry Campbell who were
onboard the ship, Mavi Marmara, part of the humanitarian
aid flotilla which was bound for Gaza in May this year.
At least nine activists were killed as a result of
Israel's military action against the aid flotilla bound
for Gaza.
Ahmed suffered gun shot
wounds.
These activists were
protesting the military blockade of Gaza, which has
effectively imprisoned its 1.5 million residents and
caused a humanitarian crisis.
Recounting the moment he was
shot, Mr Talib said: "I saw a man who nearly got shot
I could see the red dot of the laser weapon sights on
his knee, but he moved in time.
"I felt it slice through my leg blood was squirting
from my right leg and then a second bullet sliced
across, just above my knee. I was still standing, but my
leg jerked up in the air and froze like that for a
time it was paralysed. With my weight on the good leg I
tried to put it down but it wouldn't move.
"I couldn't believe I had been hit, but that's how it
looked bullets, holes and blood."
Ms Campbell, in her second
year of nursing studies, said: "We had no pain-killers,
no instruments to extract bullets. But we had heaps of
gauze so we were able to apply pressure bandages to stop
or slow the bleeding. The heat was intense we were
sweating as first we had 10 people to treat and then
20."
A devout Muslim whose family
migrated from Sri Lanka to Australia in 1995, Mr Talib
recalled taking a moment to pray. "I said it quietly
to myself. Then I worried maybe that was not enough, so
I said it again this time out loud."
In 2007 Mr Talib married Ms
Campbell, who is almost four months pregnant with their
first child.
AIIC
Ramadhan Message
Ramadan
Knights
The HikmahWay
Institute is presenting a
complete Ramadan Wisdom &
Fiqh one-day
course today (Sunday) by
Sheikh Aslam AbuIsmaeel.
Time: 9am to
5pm with plenty of breaks &
interactive sessions
Venue:
Building 3 (Steele Building)
Room 206, University of Qld,
St Lucia (near corner of
Hawken Drive and Upland
Road)
For details and map visit:
http://hikmahway.com/2010/06/ramadan-knights/
For more information
contact: Br Ismail (0406 629
129) or Br Faisal (0406 740
790) or email
contact@HikmahWay.com.
In
pursuit of the bad guy......
Business
Highlights by Iqbal Lambat
The
uncertainty in the economy
resulted in a boost for the
Labour Governments
re-election following the
Reserve Banks decision to
leave interest rates on
hold. While the Prime
Minister seized on the RBA
decision as evidence of
Labours superior economic
management skills, bank
Governor Glenn Stevens
expressed concern about
consumer caution and
continuing uncertainty in
the global economy.
Retail sales continue to be
soggy and prices in certain
categories, especially
clothing and shoes have
fallen in the quarter ended
June. Retail sales are the
largest component of the
Australian economy and the
fact that both retail sales
and property are in the
doldrums resulted in the
Reserve Bank exercising
caution. Economists now
predict that interest rates
will not increase before
Melbourne Cup day with some
actually predicting a
decline to boost sales. The
overall perspective though
is that interest rates will
continue to rise in 2011.
A number of community
members have expressed
concern about the state of
the economy and the impact
that it is having on retail
businesses. We are going
through a tough period from
a retail and property
perspective but this is
short term pain. Overall the
economy is still expected to
grow 3% this year. The
mining industry is entering
boom number two with
commodity prices recovering
and Australia recording a
large trade surplus.
Employment growth continues
to exceed expectations and
some companies have begun
recruiting offshore for
talent. The economy will
rebound and strongly. Its
a matter of time.
the full synopsis
The Art
of Spain-The Moorish South
The Art of Spain is a BBC
Four documentary series on
Spanish art presented by
Andrew Graham-Dixon.
In this series Andrew
Graham-Dixon explores art in
Muslim and Christian Spain
from 711 to 1492.
Continuing from last week's
CCN........
PART 3
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
American
Muslims Make Video to Rebut Militants
Imam Mohamed
Magid says
in the video
that
injustice
can be
addressed
without
taking
innocent
peoples
lives.
A
recent spate of arrests of
Muslims accused of terrorism
in the United States has
revealed that many of them
were radicalized by militant
preaching they found on the
Internet.
Now nine
influential American Muslim
scholars have come together
in a YouTube video (see
below)to
repudiate the militants
message. The nine represent
a diversity of theological
schools within Islam, and
several of them have large
followings among American
Muslim youths.
The video is one indication
that American Muslim leaders
are increasingly engaging
the war of ideas being waged
within Islam.
We need to shepherd our own
flock and to say that,
theologically, these things
are unacceptable, said Imam
Suhaib Webb, the educational
director for the Muslim
American Society, a
grass-roots group in Santa
Clara, Calif., who is among
the nine in the video. The
Prophet Muhammad, when on
the battlefield, saw that
amongst the enemy there were
innocent women and children
killed, and he was openly
angry. He is prohibiting us
from killing the innocent.
It is very clear.
Mr. Webb said
in an interview on Friday
that as a white convert from
Oklahoma, he had become
deeply alarmed in the past
year at the number of
converts who had been
arrested on charges of
planning or carrying out
violence in the name of
Islam.
In July alone, one American
convert in Virginia and
another in Alaska who were
arrested and accused of
having ties to terrorism
were both said to have been
influenced by Anwar al-Awlaki,
an American-born militant
cleric now hiding in Yemen
who maintains an active Web
site.
The New York Times
Injustice Cannot Defeat
Injustice
Malaysia
hit show picks 'Imam Muda'
A hit Malaysian television show which has
gained international attention has announced a winner in
its talent search for an imam, or Muslim religious
leader.
Muhammad Asyraf Mohamad Ridzuan, 26, a religious
scholar, was named the winner of the Imam Muda (Young
Imam) programme on Friday, after he beat Hizbur Rahman
Omar Zuhdi, a 27-year-old religious teacher, in the
finale.
He won funding for a trip to Mecca to perform the hajj
pilgrimage, a scholarship to al-Madinah University in
Saudi Arabia, and a job at a Malaysian mosque.
Eight other contestants were eliminated during the
10-week series which began in May and grew hugely
popular in the predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian
country.
The show the first of its kind - follows the
reality-TV formula similar to "American Idol" in the US
and "The X Factor" in Britain, and has apparently
ignited new enthusiasm for Islam among Malaysia's Muslim
youth.
"I feel good. Thanks to my parents, my wife and my
fellow villagers who have been supporting me," Asyraf
told studio audience at the end of the show aired live
over Islamic lifestyle channel Astro Oasis.
Religious youth
Speaking to reporters later Asyraf said: "Our target is
not just personal victory but the victory of a society
and the victory of Islam itself. It has brought the
youth closer to religion," he said, adding that his
immediate plan was to set up a "Young Imam club".
The 10 finalists, all men chosen from 1,000 contestants,
were given a variety of challenges including preparing
an HIV-positive corpse for burial and counselling
marriage partners.
When we talk
about imams, the
first impression
is always
someone who is
old-fashioned or
just does his
work in the
mosque.
They faced written and practical tests on
religion each week, and were isolated in a mosque
dormitory - banned from using phones, the internet and
television.
In the finale, the two finalists were tested on reciting
the Quran, presenting a sermon, singing religious hymns
and answering questions from the programme's sole judge,
a former grand imam of Malaysia's national mosque.
The show became a major hit, attracting worldwide
interest, while the creators of the programme were
thrilled by its success in achieving their goal of
making Islam more appealing to young people.
"When we talk about imams, the first impression is
always someone who is old-fashioned or just does his
work in the mosque," Adam Riyadz, a 21-year-old
journalism student, told AFP on the sidelines of the
show.
"But with this show, it is easier for me to relate to
what the young imams are trying to tell us," said Adam,
who travelled for two hours from another state to watch
the finale with five fellow students.
Imams play a broad role in Malaysia where some 60 per
cent of the 28 million population are Muslim including
leading prayers at mosques and offering counselling.
It is 5:50 in the morning, and dark shadows scurry
through narrow alleys to the mosque, as the call to
prayer echoes from a minaret in Kaifeng. This city in
central China's Henan province has an Islamic enclave,
where Muslims have lived for more than 1,000 years.
In an alleyway called Wangjia hutong, women go to their
own mosque, where Yao Baoxia leads prayers. For 14
years, Yao has been a female imam, or ahong as they are
called here, a word derived from Persian.
As she leads the service, Yao stands alongside the other
women, not in front of them as a male imam would. But
she says her role is the same as a male imam.
"The status is the same," Yao says confidently. "Men and
women are equal here, maybe because we are a socialist
country."
China has an estimated 21 million
Muslims, who have developed their own set of Islamic
practices with Chinese characteristics. The biggest
difference is the development of independent women's
mosques with female imams, something scholars who have
researched the issue say is unique to China.
Yao Baoxia is a
female ahong, or
imam, at Wangjia
Hutong Women's
Mosque in
Kaifeng, in
central China.
She sits
alongside
believers during
prayers, not in
front of them
like male imams.
She believes
male and female
imams are equal
in their role as
teachers and
leaders of
prayers.
Yao studied to become an imam for four years, after
being laid off from her job as a factory worker. First
she studied under a female imam, then with a male imam
alongside male students.
Her main role is as a teacher, she says.
"When people come to pray, they don't know how to chant
the Quran, so my job is teaching people about Islam,
helping them to study one line at a time and leading the
prayers," she says.
NPR
The
Inbox
Dear Editor
The response to the Arab Film
Festival ended up being really good. I had to move
the screening to the larger auditorium!
I had a chat to some of your readers
from CCN, and they were really pleased to be there.
All in all, the event was a success and I thank you
again for your contribution in promoting it!
Kindest regards, Aleksandar Savic
DENDY PORTSIDE
Dear CCN
Thank you for the tickets for the Arab Film
Festival. We went on Friday night and really enjoyed
the movie.
Salam Card is Now Hiring
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exciting product that helps
support the Muslim
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Limited number of positions
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part of the Salam Card Team.
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Mandela's Way: Fifteen lessons on
life, love and courage
by
Richard Stengel
We long for heroes and have too few.
Nelson Mandela, who recently celebrated
his ninety-first birthday, is the closest thing the
world has to a secular saint.
He liberated a country from a system of
violent prejudice and helped unite oppressor and
oppressed in a way that had never been done before.
Now Richard Stengel, the editor of Time
magazine, has distilled countless hours of intimate
conversation with Mandela into fifteen essential life
lessons.
For nearly three years, including the
critical period when Mandela moved South Africa toward
the first democratic elections in its history, Stengel
collaborated with Mandela on his autobiography and
traveled with him everywhere.
Eating with him, watching him campaign,
hearing him think out loud, Stengel came to know all the
different sides of this complex man and became a
cherished friend and colleague.
In Mandelas Way, Stengel recounts the
moments in which the grandfather of South Africa was
tested and shares the wisdom he learned: why courage is
more than the absence of fear, why we should keep our
rivals close, why the answer is not always either/or but
often both, how important it is for each of us to find
something away from the world that gives us pleasure and
satisfactionour own garden.
Woven into these life lessons are
remarkable storiesof Mandelas childhood as the
protιgι of a tribal king, of his early days as a freedom
fighter, of the twenty-seven-year imprisonment that
could not break him, and of his new and fulfilling
marriage at the age of eighty.
This compact book is profoundly
inspiring. It captures the spirit of this extraordinary
manwarrior, martyr, husband, statesman, and moral
leaderand spurs us to look within ourselves, reconsider
the things we take for granted, and contemplate the
legacy well leave behind.
Would you
like to see the cover of your favourite book on our book
shelves below?
Using the book club you can see what books
fellow CCN readers have on their shelves,
what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB SAYS:This recipe is perfect
for Ramadaan and can be made in advance. Also it is easy
and will be loved by all in the family, young or old. It
is my family favourite in Ramadaan ...... after samoosas.
Ingredients
Base:
2 cups cake flour
Ό tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
125g butter
1 cup cold milk
Filling:
2 Tab Olive Oil or 100g butter
1 chopped onion
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 cups cubed chicken fillet
1 cup of diced peppers (it could be a mix of
your choice)
2 tsp ground green chillies
1 tsp salt
3 tsp aromat
1 tsp lemon pepper
250 ml fresh cream
3 tab cornflour
215g can creamstyle corn
2 tab perinaisse
Method For the Base
Sift all the dry ingredients and place in a
food processor, add chopped butter and
process until the mixture resembles bread
crumbs. Add cold milk slowly to form a soft
dough. Do not over process the dough as it
will start to harden.
Roll out the dough very thinly, cut into
squares or rounds and line your muffin or
square tart pan.
Prick with fork and bake at 180c until firm
and slightly brown. Allow to cool.
Filling:
Sautι the onions and garlic in butter/oil
until soft. Add chicken, green chillies and
salt and braise for a few mins. Add the
remaining spices, peppers and cook until the
chicken is cooked and the mixture is dry.
Add cornflour, braise for a minute, then add
the cream stir until mixture is thick and
saucy.
Remove from the heat and add perinaisse and
sweetcorn.
When cool, spoon filling into the baked
cups/squares, sprinkle with grated cheese
(It is now freezer suitable) and bake in a
moderate oven for 10mins.
P.S. When you
remove it from the freezer, no need to thaw,
just bake for 15mins or microwave for 3 to 4
mins.
I am sure this will be a popular savoury in
your homes in Ramadaan.
Q:
Salaams Kareema, I've recently become regular at the gym
and don't want to stop now that Ramadan is beginning.
Can you recommend a regime or any of the Les Mills
classes that I can continue while fasting?
A: Great work!! Now that you've started try to
keep it up, even if you need to cut back during Ramadan.
Make sure to drink plenty of water at night and also at
Suhoor time.
Les Mills classes as you know, go for an hour. What you
can do is stay for about 45mins and then do some core
(tummy) work & stretching on your own (be sure to let
the instructor know that you're fasting & that you may
finish a little earlier though, so she is aware of why
you're doing it). You don't have to do this with every
class, see how you feel on the day... Take a day off in
between workouts as well. This will mean you can stick
to some form of regime throughout the month.
Also remember that depending on the class, some are
higher impact than others, so know which one's work for
you, and how you normally feel after every one, and
decide on the day whether you'll go all the way, or cut
back.
The days are
also shorter and cooler so this is a good time for you
to keep up the great work!
All the best
during Ramadan and remember us all in your Duahs.
Taleem
this week will be held on Thursday 12 August
from 11am-12pm at the
residence of:
Fatima
Jangda
17 Jacaranda
Place
Eight Mile
Plains
Tel: 32198150
All ladies
welcome
Inspiration
Talk, BBQ and Youth Hour
Topics that
are relevant, Iman-boosting and
mind-capturing. Where: AMYN Islamic Youth Centre,
16/157 North Road, Woodridge When: Every Sunday, 7pm
Info:
www.AMYNweb.com Everyone is invited
Australian Muslim Youth
Network (AMYN)
Find out about the latest
events, outings, fun-days,
soccer tournaments, BBQs
organised by AMYN. Network
with other young Muslims on
the
AMYN Forum
The best
ideas and the best feedback come from our community of
readers. If you have a topic or opinion that you want to
write about or want seen covered or any news item that
you think might be of benefit to the Crescents Community
please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share
your thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community
through CCN.
If there
is someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN
please encourage them to send an e-mail to
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Disclaimer
Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of
Brisbane Team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors,
particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious,
offensive, slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of
CCN to include from time to time, notices of events that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such
notices are often posted as received. Including such
messages or providing the details of such events does
not necessarily imply endorsement of the contents of
these events by either CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
The
uncertainty in the economy
resulted in a boost for the
Labour Governments
re-election following the
Reserve Banks decision to
leave interest rates on
hold. While the Prime
Minister seized on the RBA
decision as evidence of
Labours superior economic
management skills, bank
Governor Glenn Stevens
expressed concern about
consumer caution and
continuing uncertainty in
the global economy. 
C